Ensuring safe and effective radiotherapy treatment
Radiotherapy, also known as radiation therapy, is commonly used to try to cure someone’s cancer, prevent it from coming back, or help relieve symptoms.
Most radiotherapy is administered by a machine that directs high-energy rays to the cancer, but sometimes it’s delivered by tiny radioactive pellets placed inside the body.
As technology advances, radiotherapy is becoming more complex. Regular review of treatment standards is needed to ensure patients have access to the right radiotherapy for their situation. Given rapid technological evolution, it’s also important that cancer centres regularly assess the quality of their radiotherapy programs, report and learn from any rare incidents, and are continuously working to maintain a good standard of care.
Together with its members and initiative partners, CAPCA is helping Canada to remain at the forefront of radiotherapy planning and delivery through driving practice harmonization, improving quality and patient safety, and supporting equitable access to care.
This work is led by the Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy (CPQR) as a standing committee of CAPCA. CPQR reflects a unique collaboration between radiation oncologists, medical physicists, radiation therapists, and oncology nurses along with their respective professional associations, individuals with lived experience, and other health system organizations.
Sustaining safe, high-quality radiotherapy
Learn more about the work CAPCA and partners are doing to ensure radiotherapy remains safe and effective.
Who’s involved
- Several professional organizations participate in CPQR and are involved in the implementation of radiotherapy quality and safety initiatives:
- Participation in CPQR includes provincial cancer agency and program radiotherapy experts, such as radiation oncologists, medical physicists, radiation therapists, radiation oncology nurses, and patient and family advisors with lived experience
- The Canadian Institute for Health Information partners with CPQR on the National System of Incident Reporting – Radiation Treatment (NSIR-RT), a tool for cancer centres to report, track and analyze safety incidents to drive accountability and continued improvement in radiotherapy quality.
- Accreditation Canada collaborates with CPQR to ensure cancer care standards reflect current radiation treatment practice and quality improvement.
- Operational costs of CPQR are financially supported in part by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.
Radiotherapy Resources and Partnerships
In addition to our efforts, CPQR’s resources and partnerships with other groups emphasize high-quality, effective radiotherapy.
Latest updates
Join the conversation and shape the future of Radiotherapy data in Canada
2025-05-02
Join the Pan-Canadian Cancer Data Strategy: Pan-Canadian RT Data Harmonization Project Webinar. There are two sessions to choose from.
NSIR-RT Bulletins and Safety Advisories, 2016-2022
2022-12-31
The National System of Incident Reporting – Radiation Treatment (NSIR-RT) is a tool developed by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and the Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy (CPQR), now a standing committee of CAPCA, that allows participating radiotherapy…
A Decade of Impact: The Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy, 2010 to 2021
2021-04-30
We are pleased to share this report with you to mark a decade of partnership and impact. On behalf of CPQR and our partners, thank you to the radiation treatment community for their engagement, expertise and leadership.
Case study: How centres in Atlantic Canada used the Quality Assurance Guidelines for Canadian Radiation Treatment Programs to move the needle on quality improvement
2016-01-01
How centres in Atlantic Canada used the Quality Assurance Guidelines for Canadian Radiation Treatment Programs to move the needle on quality improvement
In 2015, CPQR undertook a broad review of radiation oncology programs (ROP) to identify uptake and impact across…
“Quality assurance is a key focus for radiation treatment programs. By working collaboratively and focusing on adoption of best practices, we ensure patients receive the best care across jurisdictions.”
Jean-Pierre Bissonette, Associate Head for Professional and Academic Affairs for the Department of Medical Physics at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Co-Chair, Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy (CPQR)
